Bible Reading for April 4

1 Samuel Chapter 28

1 And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their
armies together for warfare, to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto
David, Know thou assuredly, that thou shalt go out with me to battle,
thou and thy men.

2 And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can
do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine
head for ever.

3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him
in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had
familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

4 And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched
in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in
Gilboa.

5 And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his
heart greatly trembled.

6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither
by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar
spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said
to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.

8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and
two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I
pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up,
whom I shall name unto thee.

9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done,
how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards,
out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to
cause me to die?

10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there
shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.

11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said,
Bring me up Samuel.

12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the
woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.

13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And
the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.

14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man
cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it
was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?
And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war
against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more,
neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that
thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.

16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD
is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?

17 And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath
rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even
to David:

18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his
fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto
thee this day.

19 Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of
the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the
LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.

20 Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore
afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in
him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

21 And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and
said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have
put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou
spakest unto me.

22 Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine
handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that
thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.

23 But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together
with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he
arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

24 And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed
it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:

25 And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did
eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.

1 Samuel Chapter 29

1 Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and
the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

2 And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by
thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.

3 Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here?
And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David,
the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these
days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell
unto me unto this day?

4 And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the
princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that
he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him
not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to
us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it
not be with the heads of these men?

5 Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying,
Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

6 Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD
liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with
me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee
since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the
lords favour thee not.

7 Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the
lords of the Philistines.

8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou
found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day,
that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?

9 And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my
sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the
Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.

10 Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants
that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning,
and have light, depart.

11 So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to
return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to
Jezreel.

1 Samuel Chapter 30

1 And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the
third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and
smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not
any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with
fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken
captives.

4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and
wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,
and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons
and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee,
bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this
troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou
shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came
to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.

10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode
behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

11 And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David,
and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

12 And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of
raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had
eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

13 And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou?
And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my
master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

14 We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the
coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we
burned Ziklag with fire.

15 And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And
he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor
deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to
this company.